Interfering with an Oyster satellite system

I've been attempting to add a second feed into my Sky+ box from the Osyter system so I can use the box to it's full potential, it's somewhat limited with the one feed which originally fed the 12v Pace Minibox.

No problem changing the lnb to a twin but the cable needs to follow the existing one and feed through the arm and the the swivelling base platform of the oyster. If I don't follow that route the second cable will twist all over the place when the dish powers up and spins to find the signal.

Having exposed the internal workings under the motor housing I find the cable passes through a narrow central spindle on the rotating base with no room to pass a second cable alongside. I've got some narrow sat cable to match the original but no way will it fit, even if it did it would be so tight that it would snag as the dish turns.

I did ask Robert Jackson the original installers for a price for fitting a dual lnb at Lincoln and was quoted £200+ for a back to base job so I thought .....:Eek!:

Any help gratefully accepted, now why have I got all these screws left? oh:

Is there room to remove the original and replace with a figure of 8 twin cable such as Sky now use on the Sky+ instalations :thumb:
Geo

Click to expand...

Ok, got some twin but it's the same size as the two singles put together. Perhaps Jackson's quote included changing the motor and housing for a later model. Neighbour has suggested he could bore the channel out a mm or two on his lathe, I daren't try it with a drill. :Blush:

The satellite system supplied by Aldi has a 6inch piece of flat cable in the kit. It's thin and looks foldable along the length. It may just wrap around the existing cable in the Oyster,
it's intended for feeding through a window frame and then closing the window on it.
It must be available by the metre from suppliers?
I've just fitted a secondhand Oyster Vision 85cm to my Amethyst. Only used it on test but it locks on in seconds. Really pleased with it. Would love to know how you get on with the modification as mine only has the single LNB. Another thought, can't remember if the dish rotates just over the 360 degrees then back again, if thats the case you could possibly get away with a carefully positioned cable running down the outside then attached to the roof with a loose curve.

:thumb:Hi Rob,I have just completed what you are hoping to do,(well just before xmas anyway)I got all my bits and pieces from sds in Barnstable but Im sure you will get all the gear closer to home.Like you say the twin LNB no problem and the cable used was what the sky installers use for sky plus.I took the dish etc apart and used all the original holes to feed the twin cable through the roof to the sky box.The only problem was the hole in the arm which holds the LNB was slightly too small so a bit of careful drilling and a bigger grommit sorted that.Make sure you reseal everything when you reassemble the dish etc,with a bit of thought and care it will be fine and the added satifaction is that you saved a couple hundred quid.
If you want to know more then let me know.

Well, never expected this to crop up again but .......... we did end up drilling a couple of mm out of the spindle and following the existing route through the housing, Just need the right sized drill bit and make sure the swarf doesn't fall into the motor and gearing. Replaced the original single with a slightly narrower piece of twin that another neighbour had laying about.

What I couldn't do was follow the loom through the roof but I fed the twin into the van through the status aeriel that had been cut off and capped, no doubt by Robert Jackson.

The dish occasionally revolves over 360 several times in the one direction if it's been disturbed so I was aware of what might happen to the cable if it were trapped in the housing. The repeated turns of course also prevented me using the loose cable suggestion.

The only minor snag at the minute is I only had a quad LNB to hand at the time and on folding flat it just brushes the roof which the single didn't do so I need to get a neater dual LNB if they're still around. Weather and xmas has kept me away from the van but the setup certainly works, well it does at home let's hope it will when we're away. :thumb:

:thumb:Hi Rob,I have just completed what you are hoping to do,(well just before xmas anyway)I got all my bits and pieces from sds in Barnstable but Im sure you will get all the gear closer to home.Like you say the twin LNB no problem and the cable used was what the sky installers use for sky plus.I took the dish etc apart and used all the original holes to feed the twin cable through the roof to the sky box.The only problem was the hole in the arm which holds the LNB was slightly too small so a bit of careful drilling and a bigger grommit sorted that.Make sure you reseal everything when you reassemble the dish etc,with a bit of thought and care it will be fine and the added satifaction is that you saved a couple hundred quid.
If you want to know more then let me know.

Regards, John P.

Click to expand...

Thanks for that John, you posted while I was still typing!

Like you I had to drill out and add bigger grommets and, as I say, I couldn't follow the original heavy loom with the twin, it was too well sealed and there was no way I was going to feed a twin through it without taking the whole length out of the van - there was about two spare metres coiled up behind the fridge - and given I had the Status route I took the lazy way.